PodcastsHistoryThe Guernsey Deportees

The Guernsey Deportees

Channel Islands Podcasts
The Guernsey Deportees
Latest episode

14 episodes

  • The Guernsey Deportees

    The Guernsey Deportees: The Full Story (Complete Documentary Mix)

    05/05/2026 | 2h 1 mins.
    ⚡ In 1942, during the height of World War 2, Hitler ordered the deportation of more than a thousand islanders from Guernsey. In retaliation against the Allied Forces, innocent men, women and children were forced to leave their island homes - set on a path to Biberach internment camp.
    💡 Jill Chubb was just 3 years old when she set sail, but her memories are vivid and clear. And in this special podcast series, her grandson, former BBC Guernsey presenter Ollie Guillou, charts her story - joined by three other deportees and two prominent historians.
    With special thanks to:
    Jill Chubb, Chair of the Guernsey Deportees Association
    Ralph Godwin, Deportee
    Janet de Santos, Deportee
    Jill Oliver, Deportee
    Alan Chubb, Secretary of the Guernsey Deportees Association
    Dr Gilly Carr, University of Cambridge
    Matthew Lucas, War Historian
    About the podcast:
    What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI.
    About your host:
    Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers.
    Connect with Ollie:
    Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk 
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou 
    Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk
    Photo by Enrapture Captivating Media on Unsplash
    David.Monniaux, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-223-0042-13 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
    Emdx, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Andrew Milligan sumo, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    User:Staberinde, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
    Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1987-1210-502 / Hoffmann, Heinrich / CC-BY-SA 3.0
    Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-218-0504-36 / Dieck / CC-BY-SA 3.0
    Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1971-042-08 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
    FOTO:FORTEPAN / Konok Tamás id, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2018, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
    EC-JRC (ECHO), CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Bob Embleton, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Andrew Milligan sumo, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2018, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
    Bundesarchiv, Bild 101II-MW-5152-14A / Järisch / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
    Stadtbiberach, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Rigmor Dahl Delphin, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    Christian Michelides, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • The Guernsey Deportees

    A Short Update - And a New History Podcast

    22/12/2025 | 1 mins.
    🎧 Subscribe to What We Did Before: ⁠https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before⁠ 
    📨 Got an idea for a Guernsey history story? ⁠hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk
  • The Guernsey Deportees

    Ep 4: Life and Hope in Biberach

    23/04/2025 | 19 mins.
    ⚡ The Guernsey Deportees never lost their resilient spirits through all of the years of internment. Though they were isolated and imprisoned, they still found joy, excitement and happiness in Biberach. Life may have been hard, but they made do.
    💡 In 1942, during World War 2, Hitler ordered the deportation of more than 1000 islanders from Guernsey. Jill Chubb was just 3 years old when she set sail, but her memories are vivid and clear. And in this special podcast series, her grandson, former BBC Guernsey presenter Ollie Guillou, charts her story - joined by three other deportees and two prominent historians.
    🔎 This fourth episode explores the ways the Deportees entertained themselves, whether by testing the patience of German soldiers, or watching aircraft zoom through the sky. We hear how they still celebrated Christmases - in the only way they could. We discover what it was like to fall seriously ill in the camp. And we hear the story of Bill Balcombe of Everest, who made wonderful mugs for his fellow internees.
    ⚙️ With special thanks to:
    Jill Chubb, Chair of the Guernsey Deportees Association

    Ralph Godwin, Deportee

    Janet de Santos, Deportee

    Jill Oliver, Deportee

    Alan Chubb, Secretary of the Guernsey Deportees Association

    Dr Gilly Carr, University of Cambridge

    Matthew Lucas, War historian

    📍 Written and produced by ⁠Ollie Guillou⁠ and ⁠Phillippa Guillou⁠. This is a ⁠Channel Islands Podcasts⁠ production.
    ✉️ Share your messages and memories; email hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk
  • The Guernsey Deportees

    Ep 2: The Dark and Dirty Journey To Biberach

    23/04/2025 | 19 mins.
    ⚡ The journey to Biberach interment camp wasn’t straightforward. After being whisked away from their homes on a cargo boat, the Guernsey Deportees made a stop-off at a transit camp in Dorsten - a vile, filthy place, where men were left to cook hedgehogs to survive.
    💡 In 1942, during World War 2, Hitler ordered the deportation of more than 1000 islanders from Guernsey. Jill Chubb was just 3 years old when she set sail, but her memories are vivid and clear. And in this special podcast series, her grandson, former BBC Guernsey presenter Ollie Guillou, charts her story - joined by three other deportees and two prominent historians.
    🔎 This second episode explores the Deportees’ memories of Dorsten - a camp they were never meant to visit. Hear how this horrendous camp has left a lasting impression in their minds, even after spending just a short amount of time there. And discover the stories behind some of the art created in the camp, under the most oppressive conditions.
    ⚙️ With special thanks to:
    Jill Chubb, Chair of the Guernsey Deportees Association
    Ralph Godwin, Deportee
    Janet de Santos, Deportee
    Jill Oliver, Deportee
    Alan Chubb, Secretary of the Guernsey Deportees Association
    Dr Gilly Carr, University of Cambridge
    Matthew Lucas, War historian📍 Written and produced by ⁠Ollie Guillou⁠ and ⁠Phillippa Guillou⁠. This is a ⁠Channel Islands Podcasts⁠ production.
    ✉️ Share your messages and memories; email hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk
  • The Guernsey Deportees

    Ep 3: Arriving in Biberach: First Impressions

    23/04/2025 | 19 mins.
    ⚡ Once the Guernsey Deportees finally left Dorsten, they arrived in Biberach in the freezing cold, greeted by Hitler Youth who spat at them as they trudged up the long hill to their barracks. It was here they would spend the next three years of their lives - longing to go home.
    💡 In 1942, during World War 2, Hitler ordered the deportation of more than 1000 islanders from Guernsey. Jill Chubb was just 3 years old when she set sail, but her memories are vivid and clear. And in this special podcast series, her grandson, former BBC Guernsey presenter Ollie Guillou, charts her story - joined by three other deportees and two prominent historians.
    🔎 This third episode explores the first impressions of camp life - the terror and the longing to be free. We find out about day-to-day life - how the camp had a library, a school and even a theatrical group. And we discover a little red book that has survived all these years - serving as a reminder of what happened. 
    ⚙️ With special thanks to:
    Jill Chubb, Chair of the Guernsey Deportees Association

    Ralph Godwin, Deportee

    Janet de Santos, Deportee

    Jill Oliver, Deportee

    Alan Chubb, Secretary of the Guernsey Deportees Association

    Dr Gilly Carr, University of Cambridge

    Matthew Lucas, War historian

    📍 Written and produced by ⁠Ollie Guillou⁠ and ⁠Phillippa Guillou⁠. This is a ⁠Channel Islands Podcasts⁠ production.✉️ Share your messages and memories; email hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk
More History podcasts
About The Guernsey Deportees
A little-known story of wartime resilience. Hear the stories of the last remaining Guernsey deportees. 80 years ago a group of Channel islanders were forced to abandon their homes during WW2, and were sent on Hitler’s orders to Biberach interment camp. Ollie Guillou speaks to his Grandma about the 3 long years she spent in the camp. He’s also joined by three other deportees and two historians, who help chart the life-altering journey these Guernsey people went on, all those years ago. Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/1395666
Podcast website

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